Archive for December, 2004

I am not a very bad person. I help old and blind people cross the street, even when i’m in a hurry (it makes a good excuse too). When i’m programming, i try to write readable and maintainable code. I do my best not to be promiscous and overly greedy. I don’t keep strictly kosher, i don’t fast on Yom Kippur and my interpretation of Sabbath laws is particularly liberal, but basically i believe in God and try to be moral. Sometimes i fib, but to paraphrase Amir G., who got a ticket for breaking a very minor traffic regulation — “that’s a normative offence (fuck that cop!!!)”. He said it in my presence, and he was still my boss then — talk about setting an example.

What i’m basically saying is this: I’m looking for an IT job. What i have to offer is good English, seven years of experience managing mission-critical systems, good OpenVMS skills and some understanding of Windows and Unix too. What i want is the same thing that everyone wants: Professional interest, ability to fulfill my potential, friendly colleagues and understanding bosses, comfortable working hours, promotion opportunities, and decent salary. Really not too much to ask. Now what do i have to do, when two competing IT outsourcing companies want no-one but me for the same position offered by a government tender?

Both companies have a feeling that with me on board their offer will win, which is probably not far from the truth, because few people have the OpenVMS experience required for the offered position. One company promised me a desirable salary without a lot of debate and i agreed verbally to be included in their response to the offer. Then another company to which i sent a CV once called. Although both companies were speaking in codes (revealing full details of a government proposal is illegal in my country) i guessed that they were both talking about the same position. I told them that i’m already being proposed by another company, but they said that it’s perfectly legal to be offered by several companies. And they offered me higher salary. And somehow they sounded more convincing about promotion opportunities. I don’t take all that verbal promises for granted — we are talking about HR and sales professionals, whose job is to sound convincing. So i agreed to be offered by them too. To be perfectly honest, i called the first company and told them everything; they were obviously unhappy, but sounded understanding. I made my best to sound moral and explained them that i have no intention to fuck them, i just have my interests.

I am not a “sales shark”, i don’t know jack about the legal stuff, i just want decent working conditions and i don’t want any moral residue. I don’t want to feel shame for anything and i don’t want to burn bridges. I mean — the government chooses its suppliers in a competition, why should i feel ashamed about employers competing for me?

Searching Google today for “Amir Aharoni” brings up my Blogger profile as the first result. The second result is an Amazon.com page with all the record reviews i wrote. All the other Amir Aharoni’s, most of whom are board members of Israeli startups (and maybe it’s the same guy in all of them) come after me.

I’ve been thinking philosophically about the concept of freedom. I am not free, because i’m bound by a work contract that i don’t like. But is that all? When i’m through with it, will i become really free?

What is freedom? Dictionary definitions include: “Exemption from the arbitrary exercise of authority in the performance of a specific action”, “Exemption from an unpleasant or onerous condition”, “The capacity to exercise choice”, “Ease or facility of movement”, “Frankness or boldness; lack of modesty or reserve”, “A right or the power to engage in certain actions without control or interference” (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition).

I define it as “being able to live and express myself the way i choose”.

That’s it — my last wisdom tooth, number 28, was removed today. I didn’t bother to document number 18, because it went so well. 28 was a breeze too. So symbolical that i could write a song about it — 28 gone, 28 left.